A Fatal Chapter

“Not now,” Angelica said fiercely when Baker appeared in front of them.

He stepped back.

Tricia heard sirens in the background but didn’t look up, just watched her feet as they crossed the street and approached the Cookery. Angelica opened the door.

“Angelica—Tricia!” Fra

“We’ll talk later,” Angelica said. How could she be so damned calm when the world had just turned upside down?

Angelica led Tricia across the store to the door at the back marked PRIVATE.

She closed it behind them.

TWENTY-FOUR

After the events of the previous day, St. Joseph hospital was the last place Tricia wanted to be, but despite the tragedy she’d experienced, life went on. One life had ended, and another had begun.

A pasty-faced Gi

“So,” Tricia asked, still finding it difficult to speak after she’d spent so much of the day before crying, “what are you going to name her?”

“After my mother,” Antonio said in his lilting Italian accent.

“Sofia? That’s a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl,” Tricia said.

“That’s not all,” Angelica said from the end of the bed.

“Sofia Angelica,” Antonio clarified.

“Isn’t she the most gorgeous baby you’ve ever seen in your entire life?” Angelica said, nearly bursting with pride.

She was indeed a beautiful little girl, with a full head of red hair, just like her mother.

“Thank you for all the flowers, Angelica,” Gi

“Well, I didn’t know what your favorites were, so I just told the florist to send one of everything.”

“Perhaps we can share some with the other patients,” Antonio suggested.

“Of course, of course,” Angelica agreed, and laughed. It seemed that nothing could upset her on that beautiful, su

She looked down at her hand and the two-carat solitaire diamond ring that once again had taken up residence on her left ring finger. She hadn’t been sure she meant what she’d told Christopher in his last moments. Would she really have married him again? But for now, she would honor his last request and wear the ring he had given her so many years ago at a much happier time in their lives. Their wedding had been lavish—ostentatious, really—and Tricia had already made up her mind that the last ceremony she shared with Christopher would be far more simple and dignified.

She found her eyes welling with tears once again and tried to blink them away.

A clatter at the door caught their attention. “Hi,” Nikki called out. She sat in a wheelchair, with Russ ma

“Don’t tell me you’re here to deliver, too!” Gi

“We were just about to check in, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a long day, and I thought we should pop up here to see you first.”

“Pardon me if I don’t get up,” Gi

“Can I show her the baby?” Angelica asked. She’d only held little Sofia four times since they’d arrived less than an hour earlier.

“Of course,” Gi

“Aw, I can’t wait to hold my little bundle of joy.” Then her face collapsed into a grimace, and she bent over as a contraction seized her.

“Speaking of which,” Russ said. “We’d better get going. Congratulations, Antonio.” He looked at Gi

“Thank you. Good luck, Nikki. You’ve got a tough day ahead of you, but it’ll all be worthwhile,” Gi

Russ gave them a wave as he pushed the wheelchair away from the door.

“Nikki’s having a boy,” Angelica said. “Wouldn’t it be fun if Sofia and he got married one day?”

Tricia winced at the mention of a wedding, and Angelica instantly seemed to realize her faux pas. “Oh, Trish, honey, I’m so sorry,” she said.

“It’s okay.”

“Would you have remarried Christopher?” Gi

“I don’t know,” Tricia said truthfully. “I’ll never know.”

“What will happen to Bob Kelly?” Antonio asked.

“I hope they throw him in jail for the rest of his worthless life,” Angelica said bitterly. “And to think I once loved that despicable man.”

“He’s certainly got a lot to answer for,” Tricia said. “Two murder charges, attempted murder, and assault, not to mention the trouble he was in before all this happened.”

“And don’t forget desecration of a cemetery,” Angelica said.

Tricia nodded, appalled that anyone would have the temerity to disturb the dead for their own selfish gain.

“How did Bob ever think he would get away with it?” Gi

“His enormous ego wouldn’t let him believe he could fail,” Angelica said simply. “But let’s not ruin this happy day with talk of Bob.” She looked adoringly down at the baby in Gi

Happy day? Tricia wasn’t sure she would ever celebrate Sofia’s birthday without sad thoughts of Christopher. He had sacrificed his own life to save Angelica’s. Had he saved Tricia and died, her life would have forever been shadowed with survivor’s guilt. That he’d saved Angelica—the one person who meant the most to Tricia—she would be forever grateful. Even so, it was all such a waste.

But they’d had one piece of happy news an hour before when they’d entered the hospital to visit Gi

“She’s doing much better. She’s now receiving visitors if you’d like to see her.”

“I would.”

The receptionist had given Tricia the room number, and she intended to stop in after their visit with the baby was over.

Tricia had one more piece of good news to share. “Looks like I owe you five dollars, Gi

Gi

“You were right. I heard from the insurance company before Sofia was born.”

Gi

“Awwww,” the three women chorused.

“We should go and let Gi

“I don’t want to,” Angelica declared, “but I will. But only if you promise I can come back later and say good night to my”—she stopped, looked around to make sure no one else was listening, and lowered her voice to a bare whisper—“sweet granddaughter.”

“Of course you can,” Gi

Angelica lavished kisses on her new family before turning to leave.

“Take some flowers,” Antonio suggested, and grabbed a large vase filled with pink daisies and baby’s breath.

“Good idea,” Angelica said, accepting them. “Off we go. We have a very busy day ahead of us.”

Yes, they did.

“If you need anything, feel free to call us, dear Tricia,” Antonio said sincerely.